107 – The Attributes of God Outlined

SEMESTER 1

107 – The Attributes of God Outlined

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: THEOLOGY I LESSON # 7
THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD OUTLINED

INTRODUCTION:

1. In the previous lesson I briefly defined and named the attributes of God.
2. The vastness of this subject demands considerable study. “How Great Thou Art.”
3. So in this lesson we shall at least begin to consider what we call the attributes of God.

I. DEFINITION

1. The characteristics of God’s nature which describe His mode of being.
2. Pendleton says, “The attributes of a thing are so essential to it that without them it could not be what it is.”
3. Thus, we simply mean marks of character which must be attributed to God.

II. DIVISIONS OF ATTRIBUTES

1. It is very common for teachers to divide God’s attributes into two categories.
2. They, however, are not always the same divisions, nor do only category titles differ.
3. For instance, if a man divides them into communicable and noncommunicable, he means:

i. Those which can be communicated to His creatures (by mea­sure) such as power, wisdom, love and holiness.
ii. Those which belong exclusively to God, such as infinity, indepen­dency, and immutability.

4. If he divides them thus: absolute and relative, he means:

i. Absolute attributes are those belonging to God, independent of His relationship to anything else, to wit: self-existence, immuta­bility and holiness.
iii. Relative attributes are those which are seen only because of God’s connection with and relationship to time and to His creation. These are: eternity, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, veracity, love, and justice.

5. We will consider these attributes separately in studies that follow.

III. THE PROPRIETY OF THIS STUDY

1. Men have been so programmed to biblical shallowness, it seems necessary to explain at this point why we spend time in these studies.
2. Men feel that the proper study for Christian ministry, whether teaching or preaching, is men and methods of reaching them.
3. My philosophy, and I hope it will become yours, is found in Daniel 11:32.
4. Two things are necessary for men to know God:

i. There must be a revelation from God of Himself. (Job 11:7, I Cor. 1:21)
ii. There must be a capacity in us to receive it. (Mat. 13:11,16, 17)

5. The study of divine attributes will go far in delivering us from error.

III: Error that eternal punishment is a perver­sion of love.

i. Proper meditations here give a just view of God. Quote from Pink – definition of doctrine #1 p. 40.
ii. Contemplation of divine attributes will result in humility and reverence. (Job 42:6, Isa. 6:5)
iii. Occupation with proper thoughts about God will increase our faith. (Job 23:13, Eph. 3:20)