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.
I love this Amy. What an amazing great list I’m doing this with psalms and only on chapter 25.. it will be a long list too. God is mind blowing … when we think of all these things the very definition of “God” is changed to be more accurate
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Thanks Amy!!
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