The Attributes of God

Mercy & Grace 

            I believe mercy & grace go hand in hand. God’s mercy is an outcropping of His love for us. His grace is the undeserved favor He shows us all when we become “saved”. He offers us mercy because of His gracious nature. This is available to anyone who has chosen to enter into a personal relationship with the Lord. 

            “As sinners, we deserve punishment ^{(Romans 3:23)}. God’s righteousness requires punishment for sin—He wouldn’t be holy otherwise. Since God does love us and is merciful, He sent His Son ^{(John 3:16)}. The fullness of His mercy is seen in Matthew 27. Jesus is brutally beaten and murdered on our behalf; Jesus received our just condemnation, and we received God’s mercy.” ^[1]

Exodus 34:6 - "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." 

Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." 

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1]  www.gotquestions.org

The Attributes of God

Unchanging

 

“Unchanging” is following the same principles or course of action over time. Almighty God never changes for to change could lead to wavering on decisions or just plain regretting them.  Since He doesn’t change, does God have any regrets?

“God does not have regrets in the way humans do. When the Bible says God "regretted" making humanity (Genesis 6:6) or appointing Saul as king (1 Samuel 15:11), it uses anthropomorphic* language—describing God in human terms to help us grasp His relational response.  This does not mean God made a mistake or changed His mind due to new information. 

God’s "regret" reflects His deep sorrow and grief over human sin and disobedience, not a failure in His perfect plan.  He knew humanity would fall and Saul would rebel, yet He allowed these events to fulfill His sovereign purposes, including the eventual coming of the Messiah. His actions are consistent with His unchanging nature—He does not lie, repent, or change His mind (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29). Thus, while God feels sorrow over sin, He does not regret His decisions because they were always part of His eternal plan. His grief is not weakness, but a reflection of His holiness and love.” ^[1]

 

Psalm 90:2 - "From everlasting to everlasting, you are God." 

 

Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

 

Malachi 3:6 – “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”

Psalm 102:27 – “But You are the same, and Your years shall have no end.”

Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind.  Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”

1 Samuel 15:29 – “The Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for He is not a man, that He should have regret.”

 

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries
* Describing non-human things as if they have human traits—such as thinking, speaking, feeling, or acting like people.

^[1]www.wearefaith.org

The Attributes of God

Omniscience

 

A simple definition of ‘omniscience’ that I like to use is that “God knows all that can be known”.  His omniscience is not restricted to any one person in the Godhead; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all by nature omniscient.
              God knows everything. He knows not only the minutest details of our lives, but those of everything around us, for He mentions even knowing when a sparrow falls or when we lose a single hair. Not only does God know everything that will occur until the end of history itself, but He also knows our very thoughts, even before we think them. He knows our hearts motivation; He even saw us in the womb. Solomon expresses this truth perfectly when he says, “For only you know the hearts of all the children of mankind”. 

 

Psalm 139:1-6 NIV

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

 

1 John 3:20 NIV

“If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

 

1 Kings 8:39   NIV

“You deal with everyone according to all they do, for you alone know every human heart ...”

 

            Since God knows all that can be known, we cannot put anything past Him; in other words, we cannot fool Him. We cannot trick God or schmooze Him. All our greatest thoughts and lowliest endeavors are an open book to the Lord. Nothing escapes His watchful eye. What is not possible for man is possible for Almighty God. While the unsaved should quake in fear with regards to God’s omniscience, the believer can find relief in knowing that He knows all about the situation you’re in right now. He is mindful of it and will provide encouragement, support, and if a negative situation, a way of escape. Those who have a godly mindset have nothing to fear. Those who are without regard to the magnificence & glory of the King, have much to fear, for their ignorance and arrogance will not wear well in the long run. Beware the wrath of the Lord, for it is coming to all those who disregard or mock His mighty name.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Attributes of God

Omnipresence

 

The prefix ‘omni’- originates in Latin and means “all.” So, to say that God is omnipresent is to say that God is present everywhere. In many religions, God is regarded as omnipresent, whereas in both Judaism and Christianity, this view is further subdivided into the transcendence ^[1] and immanence ^[2] of God. Although God is not totally immersed in the fabric of creation (pantheism ^[3]), He is present everywhere at all times.

 

Jeremiah 23:24 - “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord?”

 

Psalm 139:7 - "Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?" 

 

Proverbs 15:3 - “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

 

Hebrews 4:13 - “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

 

            There is nowhere that God is not. Does that mean He is in hell? The way it has been explained in my research is that His spirit is there with regards to space, but not relationally.

In other words, His spirit is in that space, but there is no communication or relationship with those in hell. They have permanently forfeited their right to the favor of God and must suffer the consequences of their rejection of Him. Without Christ’s blood removing their sin, they are under the wrath of God. THAT is a major difference between those who are saved and those who are not. Christian’s are under His grace and forever shall reside in His presence. Non-believers are NOT under His grace and shall NEVER reside in His presence for all eternity. Eternal separation apart from Almighty God. That was the unsaved person’s choice, and hell was the consequences of that choice. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

^[1] Transcendence is the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity.

^[2] Immanence is the concept of the presence of deity in and throughout the real world; the idea that God is everywhere and in everything.

^[3] Pantheism is the idea that God and the universe are one and the same; there is no distinction between the divine and the material world. Adherence to Pantheism do not believe God to be a personal God, but impersonal, being interwoven into His creation as in the supposed fact that God is in a rock or tree or water, etc.

Resource: www.gotquestions.org

The Attributes of God

Omnipotence 

 

            To say Almighty God is Omnipotent is to say that He has UNLIMITED POWER. Nothing or no one is more powerful than He is. What that should mean to you is that He has more than enough power to accomplish whatever you may need to have done. It just needs to be within the parameters of His will for you. You see, HE knows you better than you know yourself AND HE knows exactly what you will need. We usually have NO IDEA what we need or want when it comes to life’s essentials, but our Heavenly Father knows.

 

Here are a few scripture verses that speak to God’s unlimited power.

 

Colossians 1:16-17

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." 

 

Jeremiah 32:17

Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

 

Genesis 1:1–3

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

 

Hebrews 1:3

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

 

Luke 1:37  

"For nothing will be impossible with God." 

 

            I feel it’s far more important to show you in scripture what it says about the power of God than have me simply regurgitate things I read or happen to know. So during this special look at God’s personal attributes, that is what I’ll be doing. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note: The translation used for the above verses is the English Standard Version (ESV).

Resource: www.crossway.org

Quote Contemplations

“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.” – Leo Tolstoy

            A majority of supporters doesn’t make a sin no longer sinful. If it flies in the face of God’s standard for living, then it is wrong and shouldn’t be done. There are obvious things that are wrong, but there are also subtle things that should be considered wrong that aren’t just because “everyone is doing it”.  Let’s take adultery for example. When you’re confronted with a compromising set of circumstances, you should walk the other way, because nobody wins in situations like that and any benefit from it is extremely short lived. But a good friend says to you, “Hey, ya know, everybody’s doing it, so what’s the harm in sticking your toe in the water?” He or she is NOT your friend if they would give you that sort of slanted advice. God’s rule stands when all else falls. Do that which you in your heart knows is right and walk away.

Say you’re dead broke and an opportunity arises where could take some money that would help you take care of yourself and your family for a very long time. You should walk away without even considering it, but maybe you don’t because the temptation is too great. That, my friend, is a losing proposition. 

There is a fairly common phrase that has been around the block for a while and it’s, “Winners never cheat, and cheaters never win.” As a believer, it is never right to do wrong and never wrong to do right. You can’t ask God to bless a sinful endeavor. It will never happen. You have short circuited your relationship with the Lord. Whether it ends us being temporary or permanent is up to you. Doing the wrong thing is like unplugging a lamp and still expecting it to work. 

Something that is wrong in the Lord’s eyes will always be wrong, no matter how many support it’s being done. No one will ever outwit God, or fool Him in any way. And if you are a true follower of Christ you will know that which is wrong and that which is right. If you aren’t sure, ask the Lord with an open mind and don’t imagine that He is approving that thing just because you want to do it. He will let you go off on a tangent (free will) and will be there when you crash and burn. 

God loves you unconditionally, but do not test Him by skirting the right or wrongness of something. Galatians 6:7 ^{Amplified Bible} “Do not be deceived, God will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.”

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note: Leo Tolstoy, Russian author (1828–1910).

Quote Contemplations

“We will always find ourselves in trouble when we get comfortable with things as they are.” – Francis Chan

 

            Getting comfortable with our life could be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on our point of focus. But as a follower of Christ should we ever really be comfortable? We need to be at the top of our game spiritually speaking as much as possible with the help of the Holy Spirit within. The things we ought to be comfortable with are reading the scriptures daily, praying regularly, seeking to tap into the wisdom of God thru a variety of trusted and reliable sources, and so on. Being comfortable engaging in such endeavors will help stabilize your faith and trust in God and will lead to spiritual growth.

            It’s getting comfortable NOT doing such things that can become a dangerous proposition for us. We then become what Pink Floyd lyrically referred to as being “comfortably numb”. Things don’t seem to matter to us as much anymore. We begin to become oblivious to our surroundings, thus making us an easy target for the enemy. Being comfortably numb is like leaving your foxhole in a war zone without your weapon and just standing out in the open with no protection. Oh, make no mistake about it; you HAVE protection in the armor of God, but you are failing to utilize it. 

            Living on the edge of the ledge has the large possibility of bringing about BAD JUJU. *

We must accept the fact that we cannot do this life on our own. The only true help we have at our disposal is the Creator of the Universe. If you take the time to think about that, it’s a pretty impressive thing. 

            Don’t allow yourself to become comfortably numb in your walk with Christ. Stay on the razor’s edge and be aware of what is taking place all about you. Always be prepared to take a stand regarding the joy and peace that exists in you because of God’s spirit that dwells within you. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*Bad juju refers to negative energy.