THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD God s Grace God s love and goodness are related to the attributes of His grace, mercy, and patience. Wayne Grudem notes the following distinctions: God s grace is His goodness for those who are guilty and deserve only punishment. God s mercy is His goodness for those in misery and distress. God s patience is His goodness in withholding punishment for those who sin over a period of time. God s grace, mercy, and patience are all expressions of His unmerited favor and abundant kindness. Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalms 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalms 111:4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. Psalms 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. Psalms 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. Jonah 4:2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. God s Grace Defined and Described God is the source of all grace. A. W. Tozer defines grace as the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving. Grace is God s favor on those who do not deserve it and who are worthy of God s condemnation and punishment for sin. God s common grace (general benevolence) is given to all people, but God s saving grace is given only to those in Christ. God is never under obligation but always freely gives His grace as He chooses. A. W. Pink states: God is under no obligation to any of His creatures, least of all to those who are rebels against Him. 1. Common grace is God s general care for His creation 2. Saving grace is God s special favor to save sinners from sin 3. All of God s grace is sovereign grace because God wills to give it 4. God s grace is specially revealed and provided in Christ

Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:16-17 16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Grace was mentioned in the Old Testament as early as the time of Noah (Gen. 6:8), but Christ was the means of God s grace toward men in all ages. In both Old and New Testament days salvation was by grace through faith. Tozer comments: Grace indeed came by Jesus Christ, but it did not wait for His birth in the manger or His death on the cross before it became operative. Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. In olden times men looked forward to Christ s redeeming work; in later times they gaze back upon it, but always they came and they come by grace, through faith (The Knowledge of the Holy). God s Grace Demonstrated in Salvation 1. God s great purpose in salvation is to reveal His grace Ephesians 1:6-7 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. 2. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Wayne Grudem explains the vital connection between grace and faith: Faith is the one human attitude that is the opposite of depending on oneself, for it involves trust in or dependence upon another. Thus, it is devoid of self-reliance or attempts to gain righteousness by human effort. If God s favor is to come to us apart from our own merit, then it must come when we depend not on our own merit but on the merits of another, and that is precisely when we have faith (Systematic Theology). 3. By grace God permanently changes our spiritual standing Romans 5:1-2 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. By grace we are no longer condemned, but justified. 4. In salvation God s grace is much greater than man s sin Romans 5:20-21 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin

abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. God s Grace Experienced in Christian Living 1. Christians are to grow in grace Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Paul Washer explains what it means to grow in grace: The idea is not that we are somehow lacking in grace and need to obtain more, but that we are to grow in the grace that has been given us in Christ. The grace of God is the sphere in which the believer now lives. Because of the grace of God manifested in the work that He has already done for us, the work He continues to do in us, the great promises He has given us, and the life and strength that He makes available to us; we can and should grow in conformity to His Son and become increasingly pleasing to Him (Knowing the Living God). 2. Christians are to serve with grace 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 3. Christians are to suffer with grace 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 4. Christians are to speak with grace Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. 5. Christians are to ask for God s grace in our need Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Our Response to God s Grace 1. We should never use God s grace as a license to sin Romans 6:1-2 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Titus 2:11-12 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. 2. We should always be humble toward God James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Someone asked Corrie ten Boom if it was difficult for her to remain humble in her service for the Lord. She replied: When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowds were waving palm branches and singing praises, do you think it ever entered the mind of that donkey that all the applause was for him? I just want to be like the donkey on which Jesus rides in His glory. 3. We should testify of God s grace Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Resources for Further Study Boice, James Montgomery. Foundations of the Christian Faith. Charnock, Stephen. The Existence and Attributes of God. Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. MacArthur, John and Richard Mayhue, eds. Biblical Doctrine. MacArthur, John, ed. The MacArthur Study Bible. Packer, J. I. Knowing God. Pink, A. W. Gleanings in the Godhead. Sproul, R. C., Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible. Strauss, Lehman. The Godhead. Torrey, R. A. What the Bible Teaches. Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy. Washer, Paul. Knowing the Living God.

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD God s Grace God s love and goodness are related to the attributes of His grace, mercy, and patience. Wayne Grudem notes the following distinctions: God s grace is His goodness for those who are guilty and deserve only punishment. God s mercy is His goodness for those in misery and distress. God s patience is His goodness in withholding punishment for those who sin over a period of time. God s grace, mercy, and patience are all expressions of His unmerited favor and abundant kindness. Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalms 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalms 111:4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. Psalms 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. Psalms 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. Jonah 4:2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. God s Grace Defined and Described God is the source of all grace. A. W. Tozer defines grace as the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving. Grace is God s favor on those who do not deserve it and who are worthy of God s condemnation and punishment for sin. God is never under obligation but always freely gives His grace as He chooses. A. W. Pink states: God is under no obligation to any of His creatures, least of all to those who are rebels against Him. 1. is God s general care for His creation 2. is God s special favor to save sinners from sin 3. All of God s grace is because God wills to give it 4. God s grace is specially revealed and provided Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:16-17 16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Grace was mentioned in the Old Testament as early as the time of Noah (Gen. 6:8), but Christ was the means of God s grace toward men in all ages. In both Old and New Testament days salvation was by grace through faith. Tozer comments: Grace indeed came by Jesus Christ, but it did not wait for His birth in the manger or His death on the cross before it became operative. Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. In olden times men looked forward to Christ s redeeming work; in later times they gaze back upon it, but always they came and they come by grace, through faith (The Knowledge of the Holy). God s Grace Demonstrated in Salvation 1. God s great purpose in salvation is to Ephesians 1:6-7 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. 2. Salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Wayne Grudem explains the vital connection between grace and faith: Faith is the one human attitude that is the opposite of depending on oneself, for it involves trust in or dependence upon another. Thus, it is devoid of self-reliance or attempts to gain righteousness by human effort. If God s favor is to come to us apart from our own merit, then it must come when we depend not on our own merit but on the merits of another, and that is precisely when we have faith (Systematic Theology). 3. By grace God permanently changes Romans 5:1-2 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. By grace we are no longer condemned, but justified. 4. In salvation God s grace is Romans 5:20-21 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. God s Grace Experienced in Christian Living 1. Christians are to Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Paul Washer explains what it means to grow in grace: The idea is not that we are somehow lacking in grace and need to obtain more, but that we are to grow in the grace that has been given us in Christ. The grace of God is the sphere in which the believer now lives. Because of the grace of God

manifested in the work that He has already done for us, the work He continues to do in us, the great promises He has given us, and the life and strength that He makes available to us; we can and should grow in conformity to His Son and become increasingly pleasing to Him (Knowing the Living God). 2. Christians are to 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 3. Christians are to 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 4. Christians are to Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. 5. Christians are to Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Our Response to God s Grace 1. We should never use God s grace as Romans 6:1-2 1 2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Titus 2:11-12 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. 2. We should always James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 3. We should Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Resources for Further Study Boice, James Montgomery. Foundations of the Christian Faith. Charnock, Stephen. The Existence and Attributes of God. Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. MacArthur, John and Richard Mayhue, eds. Biblical Doctrine. MacArthur, John, ed. The MacArthur Study Bible. Packer, J. I. Knowing God. Pink, A. W. Gleanings in the Godhead. Sproul, R. C., Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible. Strauss, Lehman. The Godhead. Torrey, R. A. What the Bible Teaches. Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy. Washer, Paul. Knowing the Living God.