Sermon Tone Analysis

Attributes of God:

Attributes of God:

If you were to try to tell you who my wife is, I might describe some of her attributes:

There are physical attributes that describe appearance, stature, etc.

There are character attributes that describe personality, behavior, character.

By describing these attributes, you can learn about someone, or about God.

You still do not actually know the person.

That comes through relationship.

But knowing these attributes might cause you to want to begin a relationship, or go deeper in one.

God is:

God is Self Existent - Independent:

God is so independent that he does not need us or anything.

, says that God "is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything" (NIV).

He is Self-sufficient

He does not get hungry, or tired, and has need of no one.

God is Eternal:

God exists beyond time.

Drawing on verses such as , , "God has no beginning, end, or succession of moments in his own being, and he sees all time equally vividly,

yet God sees events in time and acts in time.

The expression "Alpha and Omega" also used as title of God in Book of Revelation.

God is Good:

The goodness of God means that "God is the final standard of good, and all that God is and does is worthy of approval.

God is Holy:

The holiness of God is that he is separate from sin and incorruptible.

God cannot be tempted with sin, and cannot allow sin in His presence.

He is impeccable, - it is impossible for God to lie

God is Immutable:

Immutability means God cannot change.

refers to the "Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (NIV).

“I am the Lord; I change not”

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever

God is Incomprehensible:

The incomprehensibility of God means that he is not able to be fully known.

says "his understanding no one can fathom".

However, "in so far as God reveals Himself in His attributes, we also have some knowledge of His Divine Being, though even so our knowledge is subject to human limitations.

God is Infinite:

The infinity of God includes both his eternity and his immensity

says that "Yahweh is the everlasting God,"

Solomon acknowledges in that "the heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you".

Infinity permeates all other attributes of God: his goodness, love, power, etc. are all considered to be infinite.

God is Omnipotent:

The omnipotence of God refers to Him being "all powerful".

This is often conveyed with the phrase "Almighty", as in the Old Testament title "God Almighty" -

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Jesus says in , "with God all things are possible".

C. S. Lewis clarifies this concept: "His Omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible.

You may attribute miracles to him, but not nonsense.

This is no limit to his power.

God is Omnipresent:

The omnipresence of God refers to him being present everywhere.

Berkhof distinguishes between God's immensity and his omnipresence, saying that the former "points to the fact that God transcends all space and is not subject to its limitations," emphasizing his transcendence, while the latter denotes that God "fills every part of space with His entire Being," emphasizing his immanence.[38]

In , David says, "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there" (, NIV).

He is here right now, He is ever present.

God is Omniscient

The omniscience of God refers to him being "all knowing".

speaks about the "only wise God".

There is not a single sparrow that falls from the sky without His knowledge

The hairs of your head are numbered

Nothing that happens anywhere on planet earth - or beyond, is outside of His knowledge

He knows the mysteries of the universe - indeed He invented them

Black holes, dark matter, dark energy,

and the secrets of men’s hearts

God is Sovereign:

The sovereignty of God is related to his omnipotence, providence, and kingship, yet it also encompasses his freedom, and is in keeping with his goodness, righteousness, holiness, and impeccability.

It refers to God being in complete control as he directs all things — no person, organization, government or any other force can stop God from executing his purpose.

("My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please")

God is Transcendent:

God's transcendence means that he is outside space and time, and therefore eternal and unable to be changed by forces within the universe.

Yet He has chosen to relate to us.

- For this is what the high and exalted One says — he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."

Though God is so far beyond us, as Einstein supposed, that it would be impossible for anyone to reach Him, or have any kind of relationship with Him on our own -

Yet He, in His sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient and self existent will, has chosen to “transcend” space and time, and anything else between us, and to have a very personal relationship with those who desire Him - those of the contrite and lowly spirit...

God is Wrath:

Moses praises the wrath of God in .

In the New Testament, Jesus says in , "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

"if God loves all that is right and good, and all that conforms to his moral character, then it should not be surprising that he would hate everything that is opposed to his moral character."

There is a day appointed in which God will judge the world in righteousness

Character attributes of God

There are other attributes that have to do with God’s character, or personality.

God is Gracious:

The graciousness of God is a key tenet of Christianity.

In , it is part of the Name of God, "Yahweh, Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God".

The noun "grace" is used more than 100 times in the New Testament.

in the King James Version says "the Lord is gracious", but the New International Version has "the Lord is good".

Thank God for His graciousness

God is Jealous:

, of the Decalogue says, "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments" –

One way to describe God's jealousy is as "zeal to protect a love relationship or to avenge it when broken,"

God is not willing to accept second place.

All things were created by Him and For Him, and He is before all things, and in all things He must have the preeminence

God is Love:

; says "God is Love."

God So loved the World….

We love Him because He first loved us…

Jesus loved His disciples to the very end….

A new commandment I give you – Love each other, as I have loved you.

God has expressed His love toward us in the person of Jesus

God’s other attributes express His love also

Faith, hope, love, the greatest is love.

God is Righteous: