God’s Attributes

One of my favorite Christan authors, Merrill C. Tenney, who was Professor of Bible and Theology at Wheaton College in Illinois, wrote a book titled, Galatians:The Charter of Christian Liberty.  Within it he explained and applied ten different approaches to studying the meaning of Biblical text “so that the reader can imitate the procedure and thus have the joy of making discoveries in the divine revelation.”  Over the course of the past two years, I have applied these strategies to four different books of the New Testament and found them to be like a key that has unlocked beautiful treasures of incomprehensible wealth.  

I just finished my journey through Romans and would like to share my new found favorite component within one of these methods, the “Theological Method.”  This method includes going through the book and finding all references to God’s personality and attributes, Christ’s personality and attributes, the Holy Spirit’s personality and attributes, and then the specific instructions for what Christ’s churches as well as each individual Christian’s personality, attributes, and behavior should be in order to reflect the Godhead. I found this particular exercise hugely beneficial, faith-strengthening, and awe-inspiring.

The following is a list of the attributes I found describing God’s personality and who He is as I read through Romans.  You can easily follow along, if you wish, by reading Romans yourself, since I wrote this list in chronological order as I read through the book.  If a particular attribute or personality trait was mentioned more than once, I did not repeat it on the list. However, several of His revealed traits were stated in slightly different contexts so I included them on the list.

God’s Personality and Attributes:

God is a promise-keeper

God is Father

God loves us

God witnesses our works

God has a plan for us

God made the gospel as the power for our salvation

God is righteous

God is wrathful against wickedness

God has made plain His truth

God made His invisible qualities evident through creation

God is eternally powerful

God is divine by nature

God is full of glory

God is immortal

God is truthful

God is creator

God is to be forever praised

God gives us over to wickedness when we defy Him

God made the knowledge of Himself evident

God makes righteous decrees

God is judge

God is kind

God is tolerant

God is patient

God leads us

God is wrathful

God is Giver of eternal life

God is angry at evil

God does not show favoritism

God sees

God has a relationship with us if we have faith

God is to be honored

God speaks

God entrusted us with His Word(s)

God is faithful

God is true

God is available when we seek Him

God is to be feared

God is the giver of grace

God is forbearing

God is just

He is God of Jews

He is God of Gentiles

God is the only God

God is to be trusted

God is to be believed

God credits righteousness to us through Jesus Christ

God is our guaranteeror

God gives life to the dead

God raised Jesus from the dead

God gives peace (We do not have to fear judgement)

God gives hope

God poured out His love to us through the Holy Spirit

God loved us while we were still sinners

God is to be rejoiced in

God gifted grace through Christ to us

God has given us an abundant provision of grace

God makes us alive to Him once sin dies in us

God is the One to whom we bear fruit

God is our master when we die to sin

God sent Christ to be a sin offering for us

God is our Abba, Father

God is the giver of true freedom

God works for the good of those who love Him

God has foreknowlege 

God predestined that we be conformed to Christ

God has called us

God justifies us

God is for us!

God chose us

God has loved us with an inseparable love

God does not fail

God has a purpose for His children

God is merciful

God is compassionate

God hardens whom He wants to harden

God formed us

God does not reject His own

God answers

God is stern to those who fall

God grafted Gentiles into the branches of Israel

God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable

God has bound all (at some point) over to disobedience in order that He may have mercy on us all

God’s wisdom is deep and rich

God’s knowledge is deep and rich

God’s judgements are unsearchable

God’s paths cannot be traced

God has made all things from Him, through Him, and to Him

God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect

God gives us a measure of faith

God avenges

God repays

God established earthly authorities

God’s kingdom is of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit

God gives us endurance

God gives us encouragement

God gives us a spirit of unity

God gives joy

God will crush Satan under His feet

God is wise

I hope this has encouraged you as much as it does me.  Perhaps you can use this technique yourself as you read through scripture in order to get to know God more completely.

May God’s blessings be upon you.