His Infinite Attributes

A friend and I just finished a Bible study on the attributes of God: Infinite, Immutable, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Eternal, Self-sufficient, All-wise, Holy, Righteous, Pure love, Transcendent.  It was a good reminder of the meaning of all those theological words! In the final chapter of our study the author says:  Even though we were made in the image of God, He is not simply a higher and better version of ourselves.  He is supreme, preeminent, transcendent and ultimately mysterious” (p.287, Praying the Attributes of God by Ann Spangler).
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For years my mom kept an art project of mine from the 6th grade.  If you know me at all, you know I am not very artistic.  We were working in clay and for some unknown reason I decided to try to make a man’s head.  Really, what was I thinking?  Well, I had lots of help from the art teacher, but he sort-of turned out looking like the pictures we see of prehistoric man.  And the glaze I used was mislabeled, so instead of brown he was shades of purple.  Strange.
I think we resemble God about as much as that 6th grade first-attempt-at-sculpting resembles me.  We both had hair, ears, nose, and mouth.  You could tell by looking at it that it was a little like me; but to say that I was like it?  Well, no.

But the amazing thing about our God is that rather than dismissing us because we are so unlike Him, He came down to where we are and invites us to know Him and BECOME like Him.  That is truly astonishing!  As we get to know Him as He truly is, we realize that ALL of His attributes are infinite.  We can trust that His love for us will never run out.  His wisdom is available to us at all times in every situation as we walk with Him.  We can always trust his goodness even in situations where it seems the darkness is winning.  Because He is infinitely holy, we know and can trust that there are absolute standards of right and wrong that will never change.  And we know that His ways bring life, not only to us but to the world.  As the Self-Sufficient Creator of the universe, He has everything at His disposal to meet every need I have, every need of my family, my country, every need anywhere in the world.  And this God, who has no need of you or me or anything we can offer Him, invites us to join ourselves to Him.  To get to know Him as He truly is.  To allow Him to remake us so that our character becomes more like His - good, loving, righteous, wise – as we walk with Him, trust Him, and lean heavy on Him.

​We would never be able to truly understand these things about God if it were not for Jesus who showed us what God is like.  His love for us and hatred of sin and its destructive effect on every aspect of life drove Him to sacrifice Himself on our behalf.  His resurrection and His gift of the Holy Spirit for every believer proved that He was no ordinary man, but God in the flesh. 

This past year has been difficult for many to stay encouraged and be hopeful (hope-filled); but the eternal God is still in control, still inviting us all into a deeper relationship with Him, still inviting us to trust Him.  While typing these words I was reminded of this old gospel song (Jenny B. Wilson, c. 1906):

Time is filled with swift transition, Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Trust in Him who will not leave you, Whatsoever years may bring,
If by earthly friends forsaken Still more closely to Him cling.

Hold to God’s unchanging hand, Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Covet not this world’s vain riches That so rapidly decay,
Seek to gain the heav’nly treasures, They will never pass away.

When your journey is completed, If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright the home in glory Your enraptured soul will view.

Hold to God’s unchanging hand, Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.


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