THE ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD-1
The essential attributes of God are those unique characteristics or qualities that make God who He is. These qualities belong to God and may never become attributes of man. Though bible says the born again person is like God, there are still some qualities that only belong to God and makes Him who He is.
The first essential attributes of God is that, He is eternal. God has no beginning and no end. God lives forever; He has always been there and will always be there. There is no time in history where God did not exist. God exist from eternity to eternity. The following scriptures give expression to the fact that God is eternal.
“Before Abraham was, I AM…” (John 8:58)
“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God…” (John 1:1)
“….I am the first and I am the last….” (Isaiah 44:6)
“….the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity…..”Isaiah 57:15
“…the eternal God is our refuge…..”(Deuteronomy 33:27)
“I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending….” (Revelation 1:8)
These scriptures confirm the eternity of our Father. Time does not limit God in any way. Being eternal, He has given the saints that privilege to also live forever. Without God, man cannot live in eternity.
The second essential attributes of God is that, He is self-existent. This is awesome. God does not depend on anything for His existence. God lives in Himself and from Himself. He is the self-sufficient one. Our Father is the origin of every life and His life cannot be derived and cannot be exhausted. God is absolutely independent because of this attribute. Man hasn’t got this attribute because man depends on God for his origin and his existence.
“ ….I AM THAT I AM…” (Exodus 3:14)
“for with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light” (Psalm 36:9)
“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).
“For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:26)
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God,…… (1 Timothy 1:17)
God is immutable. This means, God’s character, being and laws do not change and is unchangeable. The following scriptures attest to His immutability.
….and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17)
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8)
“I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6)
“that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie….”(Hebrews 6:18)
God’s essential attributes do not change although His ways of dealing with man may vary or change. Man must however change to conform to what God intends him to be.
Please watch out for part two of this topic!
