To better understand God, theologians have frequently categorized His attributes. One method has been to organize them based on whether they are communicable or incommunicable. Communicable attributes have, according to Mr. Erickson, at least some relation to a human's attributes. In Ephesians 2:4, for example, God is described as having a great love for His people. Humans also have this attribute, though not to the same extent as the Lord, of course. God is shown in Scriptures to be all-powerful, while in somewhat similar fashion, humans do have some power, too. So, there is at least enough commonality between these two types of attributes that an individual can relate to the God of the universe. His attributes are also sometimes defined by saying that they are either transitive or intransitive. An example of a transitive attribute is God's mercy, while an example of an intransitive attribute is His spirituality. These attributes are distinguished from each other based upon whether or not they remain with God.
Two additional ways to categorize His attributes are to treat them as either absolute or relative, also as either natural or moral. Absolute attributes are internal to God, such as His infinity. His relative attributes are defined according to His relation to others. An example of a relative attribute is His omnipresence, or His ability to be everywhere, all the time. This specific method of categorizing God's attributes has been used by the Kenotic theologians. The fourth method for organizing God's attributes is to identify them as either natural or moral. Natural attributes include such things as His knowledge and power. They are non-moral in nature. Moral attributes, on the other hand, consider such attributes as His holiness, love, and mercy because these are moral in nature.
The method which Mr. Erickson has suggested for categorizing God's attributes is to organize them according to whether they are attributes that show His greatness or attributes that show His goodness. His attributes of greatness are spirituality, personality, life, infinity, and constancy. God is a spirit, meaning that He is not restricted by space or time. He is personal, thus showing that He can be approached and loved. He is alive, meaning that we do not merely worship an inanimate god of the heathens. God is infinite, which shows that He is not limited. He possesses all knowledge, He is all-powerful, and He can be everywhere, all of the time. He is constant, which means that He never changes. According to Hebrews 13:8, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His attributes of goodness are moral purity, integrity, and love.
Describing the Godhead as having certain properties is different than speaking of Their attributes. The attributes which were discussed above, even though they could be categorized through different techniques, were all dealing with qualities of God which are characteristics of His deity. This means that they are all true of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. By contrast, properties are not necessarily true for each person of the Godhead. They are, instead, specific characteristics which only pertain to one person of the Godhead. For example, a property of Christ was His suffering and dying on the cross for sinners. Unlike the other two Persons of the Godhead, only Jesus died on the cross. So only Jesus has that property.
Tom of Spotswood "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 22 - God's Attribute Of Constancy
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