The Perfections of God, Part 2

I only got through two points today; partly because I got to it late, partly because I'm hungry, and partly because the weather is dreary (i.e. sleepy). The reason I got around to it late is because Daddy and Granddaddy got here! I sat with Granddaddy while he slept for about an hour (after I washed the dishes) and put his feet back up on the recliner's footstool at least three time because he's twitching so badly in his sleep. He is worse shape than I thought he was going to be...

Anyway, back to the Perfections of God. The two points I read on today are these: 1) God is Omnipresent and 2) God is Almighty (Omnipotent).

First, God is Omnipresent:

Although the entire universe cannot contain Him, God fills every moment of time and every atom of space with His whole Being...Two finite beings cannot exist in the same place at the same time. But God pervades and fills every other being that exists, without mixing or confusing His uncreated reality with created reality. (261)

“God transcends all space and whereness. He is not ‘somewhere;’ yet he fills heaven and earth; he does not permeate space as does light or the air, but he is present at every place with his whole being… There is no place or measure of time which contains him within its boundaries; hence, instead of saying that he is in all things
it were better to say that all things are in him.”25. Bavinck, The Doctrine of God, 160. (261)

Secondly, God is Almighty.

Omnipotence is essential to God. It is absurd to think of Him without it. A God limited in power is as repugnant as a God limited in goodness, wisdom or justice. God is not God if He cannot do whatever He will and accomplish whatever He pleases. (263)

God's omnipotence is revealed in four ways: 1) His names and titles, 2) in creation, 3) in providence, and 4) in redemption.

First therefore, His names and titles:

Elohim, the Mighty One of Israel, the Great and Mighty God, the Lord Almighty, the Only Potentate. These designations, and similar ones, make clear that “power belongs to Jehovah” (Ps. 62:11). (264)

Creation declares it:

God created the universe out of nothing by speaking it into existence (Gen. 1:1f.). (264)

God's almighty providence clearly declaims it!

God preserves, guides and governs everything in the universe (Heb. 1:1–4). (264)

Redemption gloriously and wonderously tell of His omnipotence...

God raised Jesus from the dead. He raises the elect from spiritual death and from physical death. And He will conquer the world with the gospel. (Also see Eph. 1:18; Rom. 4:17f; Rom. 1:16). (264)

One way to fully show God's almighty omnipotence, is to detail what He cannot do.

First, God cannot act out of character:

“The power of God is not diminished when it is said that He cannot die, and cannot sin; for if He could do these things, His power would be less. A being is rightly called omnipotent, from doing what he wills, and not from suffering what he does not will.” 28. De Civitate, V,x. (264)

Secondly, God cannot lie, or go against His own will.

Third, God cannot be tempted by evil:

Although God does send trials to the Christian to strengthen his faith (Gen. 22:1; Deut. 8:2f; 2 Chron. 32:31). He is NOT “answerable for the evil effect which trials unsuccessfully met sometimes produce.” 29. Curtis Vaughan, James: A Study Guide (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1969), 29. (265)

Fourthly, God cannot change. He is unchangable.

Fifth, God cannot condemn on of the elect--one who Christ has died to save.

Sixthly, He cannot do meaningless, absurd, or self-contradictory things.

...such as creating a physical spirit, a physical deity, an emotional rock, or a square triangle. God has a perfect mind (1 Cor. 2:16), and does not do irrational or stupid
things. (265)

Here is an interesting point:

In addition to all this, it must be pointed out that God’s almighty power has never been exerted to its uttermost. God’s power is not exhausted in the universe. (265)

As a brief summary of the importance of God's omnipotence...

The omnipotence of God gives activity to all His other perfections. God’s wisdom would be empty without the power to execute His plans. His mercy would be feeble pity, if He had no power to come to our relief. His justice would be no more than a
scarecrow without power to punish. His promises would be empty without the
power to fulfill them. God’s omnipotence is His arm by which all His perfections lay hold if they would act. (266)

Quite often, we foolishly treat God's onmipotence with contempt:

We treat God’s omnipotence with contempt in many ways. (1) When we sin, thinking we will get away with it. “We magnify God’s power in our wants and debase it in our rebellions, as though omnipotence were only able to supply our necessities and unable to revenge the injuries we offer Him.”33 (2) When we fear man, instead of God; and let that fear squelch consistent faithfulness to God. (3)
When we trust in ourselves. (4) When we reject God’s gospel of power, and Christ His Son, Who is the power of God (Rom. 1:16f, 1 Cor. 1:18f.) Such contempt must be avoided at all cost. It is foolish, blasphemous, and dangerous. 33. Charnock, The Existence And Attributes of God, 432. (266)

Hopefully, I can get a little more done next time...

        Racheal