The more time I invest in getting to know God through reading His Word, looking for signs of His presence and character in His created world, and listening to His indwelling Spirit, the more aware I am that there is so much more of Him to know. And the more of Him that I do know, the more I want to know! Yes, I know Him better than I used to, but not as well as I would like or as I believe I one day will. While I don’t want to miss knowing all that I can about God on this side of Heaven, I also appreciate that God is more magnificent and multi-layered than my mortal mind can fully grasp. This is all both perplexing and inspiring.
THREE IN ONE
To grasp the disposition of one divine deity would be challenging enough, but God is and has eternally been uniquely trinitarian (Genesis 1:26-27). He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 26:63-64; 28:18-19; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:1-4; 10:29-30; 15:26; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14). This is so otherly, so unlike anyone or anything, yet it is at the very essence of who God is and always has been. It wasn’t until a couple years ago when I did Tara-Leigh Cobble’s He Is Where the Joy Is Bible study on the Trinity that I realized when I thought of God the Son, I always thought of Jesus in human form on earth from the time of His virgin birth to His ascension to Heaven. I did not think of God the Son as part of God who had always been and was alive at the time of Creation (John 1:1-4). I had read this truth, yet it was so hard to grasp that without even realizing it, I focused on an amazing but still lesser version of God the Son. Likewise, it is easy to think of God the Spirit as the Holy Spirit who was sent at Pentecost, as opposed to God the Spirit who was also “the Spirit of God…hovering over the face of the waters” in the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:2, ESV).
While distinct in Personhood (the way they function and act), each trinitarian Member is a divine and eternal deity, unified in essence as one God and in purposes such as the redemption of humankind (1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Galatians 4:4-6; Ephesians 4:4-6; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Peter 1:1-2; Revelation 4:8). That is an amazing God! As Moses proclaimed, "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11, ESV).
IMMANENT AND TRANSCENDENT
For a variety of reasons, we individually tend to focus on certain aspects of God’s character as opposed to the whole. This is dangerous for it leads us to follow and proclaim a smaller God. Sometimes we do this to make God more palatable, as when we focus on Him as loving as opposed to also being holy. Sometimes we reduce God to a simpler version because it is just hard to make sense of the different parts of His character co-existing in their fullness. Such is the case with Scripture’s claims that God is both immanent (knowable) and transcendent (beyond our grasp). Scripture bears witness to God’s nearness and accessibility, His intimate involvement with humanity and desire for relationship with us (Isaiah 57:15; Acts 17:27-28; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Philippians 3:8-10). Yet, God is eternal and everywhere (Psalm 139:7-14), uncontainable (2 Chronicles 2:6; Isaiah 66:1), transcending limits such as a specific time or space or growth processes (Job 11:7-9; Psalm 145:3; Isaiah 40:12-13; Jeremiah 23:23). Scripture attests to the majestic otherness of God who, although He indwells creation, is distinct from and rules over it (Ps. 113:5-6). God is just so unique!
COMMUNICABLE AND INCOMMUNICABLE ATTRIBUTES
The nature of God consists of inherent communicable (transmissible) and incommunicable (unable to impart) attributes that are eternal (Genesis 1:1), unwavering (James 1:17), immeasurable, and inseparable from His very essence. God’s communicable attributes can in part be transmitted to humans and are represented by moral characteristics such as His love, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, and holiness (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; 5:1; 1 John 4:8). God’s incommunicable attributes are unique to His Being and not shared with His creatures, as evidenced in the fact that He alone is infinite, sovereign (Job 42:2; John 19:11), self-existent (John 5:26), eternal (Psalm 102:26-27), immutable (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-16), and omniscient (Psalm 139:1-4).
One day, Jesus will return in bodily form and “we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). God’s character will come into focus and we will enjoy the rest of eternity in intimate understanding and fellowship with the great “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14, ESV). Until then, let’s learn all that we can about the God who created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27) so that we can best know Him and make Him known. That is a worthy purpose!
Meet the Author!
Bible teacher, author, inspirational speaker, and disciple-maker, Vickey Banks is passionate about helping women connect the dots between God’s Word and their everyday lives. She loves serving as Women’s Ministry Director at Council Road and as a Lifeway Women’s Ministry Trainer, pursuing a Master of Biblical Studies at Moody Theological Seminary, celebrating her people, and getting lost in a good story.