Everyone is a theologian. Theology means a word or statement about God, and everyone has something to say about God, even if that is to say, “He doesn’t exist.” So, everyone is already a theologian, but it’s my hope that more people would be theologians of quality. Theologians of quality are those who not only make informed and thoughtful statements about God but also recognize that theology is not first and foremost about information, it’s about a relationship. God is not an idea that we master, He is a Father who extends Himself to us in love. So yes, I will be talking about the attributes of God, but I hope to speak about them as windows into the heart of God, not as sterile categories. Attributes are characteristics or qualities of a noun that make it distinct. In theology, we divide the attributes of God into two types: incommunicable attributes, which are those characteristics of God that are uniquely divine, and communicable attributes, those characteristics which God shares with His creation, particularly us, His image bearers.
Before we begin peering into the windows of attributes, it is important to understand the home we are approaching. If the metaphor is a bit too figurative, let me say it like this, before getting into the attributes of God, I want to make a very definitive statement about Him. The “God” I’m talking about is YHWH Elohim and YHWH Elohim is Father, Son, and Spirit. He is one being that exists as three persons; one divine essence that is equally shared between three particulars. These three have eternally loved and glorified one another, participating in a divine dance that academic theologians call perichoresis, the mutual indwelling and interpenetration of the three members of the Trinity. Because of this, God has always been love, He has always been relational and has always been full of joy. Before creation, God was a family. This is not a footnote; it is the core of who YHWH Elohim is.
We’ll start with the incommunicable attributes, highlighting YHWH’s transcendence, majesty, and otherness. The first I’ll name is His aseity. This is Latin in origin and means “from self;” in other words, YHWH Elohim is not dependent on anyone or anything to live, He is completely and truly self-sufficient and self-existent. He is life itself; this was His meaning when He introduced Himself to Moses as “I Am” (Exod. 3:14). YHWH Elohim is eternal. He has no beginning or ending; He exists outside of time and all moments in time are present to Him. To paraphrase the psalmist, “from everlasting to everlasting, [He is] God” (Ps. 90:2). YHWH Elohim is also immutable. His character does not change; it remains constant and steadfast (Mal. 3:6). God is all-powerful, the theological term is omnipotent, and it means that YHWH Elohim has the capability to do whatever He wants or determines to do (Ps. 115:3; Isa. 55:10-11; Jer. 32:17). Finally, YHWH Elohim is omniscient; He knows all things, actual and possible (Ps. 147:5; John 21:17; Heb. 4:12-13). Not simply abstract facts, but intimate details about everything (1 Sam. 10:2; Ps. 139:4). As one, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all have aseity, eternality, immutability, omnipotence, and omniscience. And because the Son and the Spirit are the primary way that YHWH Elohim reveals Himself to us, His great transcendence has not excluded nearness.
The communicable attributes are those characteristics that YHWH has “communicated” to us and so, they demonstrate how we are made in the image of YHWH Elohim and can, therefore, reflect His nature.
It is John who makes the simple but profound claim, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God’s love is unconditional, selfless, and demonstrable—it is not merely affection. The eternal love between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is full and spilling over, giving birth to the cosmos and us. This attribute has been shared with humanity, giving us the ability to express and receive love in all its forms. YHWH Elohim is holy. This means that He is distinct or set apart from His creation, He is pure and unmixed; this is the opposite of pantheism. Given the unfortunate state of the world, that I have discussed elsewhere and will touch on again soon, God calls us to be set apart from the evil and corruption in the world; He wants us to share His holiness (Lev. 11:45; cf., 1 Pet. 1:16).
YHWH Elohim is just; He desires righteousness to pervade the earth and brings about the deserved consequences when righteousness is abandoned (Isa. 61:8). Righteousness is the state of having right and harmonious connections between two parties. So, humans and YHWH having a right and harmonious relationship, humans having right and harmonious relationships between each other, and humans having a right and harmonious relationship with the creation (i.e., the cosmos, the earth, and the flora and fauna that dwell on the earth). Though YHWH hates injustice and the abandonment of righteousness and therefore pursues justice in response to such things, that justice is always restorative in its aim; in other words, the goal of YHWH’s justice is to restore those relationships which have been broken and/or abandoned. Being those created in His image, YHWH has created humanity to pursue justice as well (Micah 6:8). YHWH Elohim is merciful and gracious, which themselves are two sides of the coin that is God’s compassion (Exod. 34:6-7). Both of these attributes demonstrate God’s desire to bend low in order to lift us up. YHWH’s mercy may be defined both as Him not giving us the just consequences we deserve, but also as Him being a comforting presence to us in our misery. YHWH’s grace is the preferential treatment He gives to us that we do not deserve. You might notice how these attributes contrast with His justice; a more accurate phrasing would be to say, they temper His justice. God’s mercy and grace make His justice slow, as He patiently warns us to turn back from our unrighteousness or injustice (mercy), or as He kindly favors us in spite ourselves, knowing fully and intimately that we are often slaves and victims to our baser desires and self-centered natures (grace). He is still just, but desires for us to change our minds about what we’re doing and live differently; His grace and mercy are the debasing of the utterly transcendent and holy in an attempt to kindly and gently correct our path before He can no longer tolerate the suffering we are causing (Rom. 2:4). In the same way, we should be merciful and gracious to those who wrong us (Matt. 5:44-45).
Finally, YHWH Elohim is faithful. This means that He makes promises or establishes covenants and He keeps His word even if we falter or completely fail (Lam. 3:22-23). Whatever YHWH Elohim says can be trusted with full assurance, and when we speak, we should be faithful to our promises and agreements as well. These attributes are not abstractions, they were demonstrably seen in Yeshua of Nazareth and can be manifested in us by the Spirit.
A brother who used to be a part of our church community would often ask, “why does this matter?” I always loved that question, and in my opinion, if we’re not asking that question as we talk about matters of faith, the Scriptures, and theology, we aren’t talking about those things well. These attributes and the contemplation of theology have a point; these truths aren’t for our speculation; they are an invitation to our transformation. God is not interested in you attempting to impress Him with your knowledge. Instead, He wants you to live your life with Him as your loving father, trusted companion, and wise mentor. However, you cannot love or trust who you don’t know. His attributes, theology proper, help us to know YHWH so that we might trust Him in our suffering and failures, so that we might reflect Him to those who interact with us, and so that we might serve and praise Him with genuine awe and joy.
Next, we’ll continue thinking and talking about God as the immanent one who became flesh. In the meantime, I invite you to think about just one of these attributes we’ve discussed here. Think about its definition and implications, read and re-read the Scriptures I referenced, and look for the expression of the attribute in your lived reality.
Who is like You, Oh YHWH, eternally life-giving and unchanging in His vast power and great knowledge?
Who is like You: majestic in holy love, compassionate in gracious mercy, but executing justice faithfully?
You are awesome in praises; You work wonders! You and You alone are God, Oh YHWH Elohim—there is none like You!
Let the one who boasts, boast in only this: that they understand and know You.