Attributes of God: Righteousness, Spirituality, Truth
By Elizabeth Prata
Sundays are a good time to ponder who God is. He is worthy of service and worship. We have been taking a look at God’s attributes each Sunday. Links to previous weeks are below. Most definitions are taken from Tim Challies’ visual theology chart of the attributes of God.
Remember, God’s attributes are not parts that make up a whole. Everything good that there is, is 100% contained in God. He is 100% beauty, 100% aseity, 100% omniscient, etc. He is complete in Himself.
Tim Challies explained: “To study God’s attributes is to study his character, to answer questions like, Who is God? and What is God like? A typical classification of God’s attributes divides them into those that are incommunicable (those that he does not share or “communicate” to anyone or anything else) and communicable (those that he shares with other beings). Like most theological classifications, this one is imperfect but still helpful as we seek to understand what is so far beyond ourselves. God’s communicable attributes can be further categorized into: attributes of God’s being, mental attributes, moral attributes, attributes of purpose, and “summary” attributes (attributes that, in a more particular way, modify each of the others).”
RIGHTEOUSNESS (Moral Attributes) “God is the final standard of what is right and he always acts in accordance with what is right. (This is also known as God’s justice).”
God does not intend good towards wicked men, but only the glory of his justice. ~Thomas Valentine, The Church’s Need of Jesus Christ
SPIRITUALITY (Attributes describing God’s Being) “God is a being who is not made up of matter and who cannot be perceived by our bodily senses.”
(This is extremely important in light of worship). “God being a Spirit declares what he is; his other perfections declare what “kind” of Spirit he is.” ~Stephen Charnock, A Christian’s True Spiritual Worship to Jesus Christ.
TRUTHFULNESS (Mental Attributes) “God is the true God whose knowledge and words are both true and the final standard of truth.”
Truth came out of God’s heart, and is the manifestation of his life and glory, and it will turn the heart suitable to that life. ~Cuthbert Sydenham (1622–1654) The Greatness of the Mystery of Godliness
Previous entries of the Attributes of God-
1. Attributes of God: Aseity, Beauty, Blessedness
2. Eternity, Freedom, Glory
3. Goodness, Holiness, Immutability
4. Invisibility, Jealousy, Knowledge
5. Love
6. Mercy, Omnipotence, Omnipresence
7. Peace, Righteousness, Perfection
