Understanding God's Incommunicable Attributes and Our Response
Summary
In today's reflection, we delved into the profound nature of God's attributes, focusing on the incommunicable ones—those characteristics that belong solely to God and are not shared with humanity. These attributes include God's independence, immutability, eternity, and omnipresence. Understanding these attributes helps us grasp the vastness and majesty of God, setting Him apart from His creation.
God's independence signifies His self-existence; He is not created and does not depend on anything or anyone. This contrasts with our dependence on God and each other for life and sustenance. Recognizing this distinction humbles us and reminds us of our reliance on the Creator.
God's immutability assures us of His unchanging nature. Unlike humans, who are subject to change, God remains constant in His essence, attributes, plans, and promises. This stability provides us with comfort and assurance that His love and acceptance are eternal.
God's eternity transcends time, a concept challenging for us to comprehend as time-bound creatures. God exists beyond time, yet He acts within it, demonstrating His sovereignty over creation. This eternal nature of God invites us to trust in His timeless wisdom and plan.
God's omnipresence means He is present everywhere, offering solace that we are never alone. His presence is a constant companion, inviting us to engage with Him in prayer and worship, knowing He is always near.
Reflecting on these attributes leads us to worship God not for what we can gain but for who He is. Worship becomes an act of acknowledging His greatness and our humble position before Him. As we meditate on these divine qualities, our hearts are naturally drawn to praise and adoration.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's Independence: God's self-existence highlights His complete sufficiency and freedom, contrasting with our dependence on Him and others. This understanding humbles us, reminding us of our reliance on the Creator for every breath and need. [05:58]
2. God's Immutability: God's unchanging nature assures us of His eternal love and acceptance. Unlike human promises, which can falter, God's promises are steadfast, providing us with a foundation of trust and security in His unwavering character. [14:32]
3. God's Eternity: God's existence beyond time challenges our understanding but invites us to trust in His eternal wisdom. His actions within time demonstrate His sovereignty, encouraging us to rely on His timeless plan and purpose for our lives. [19:53]
4. God's Omnipresence: God's presence everywhere offers comfort and assurance that we are never alone. This attribute invites us to engage with Him in prayer and worship, knowing He is always near and attentive to our needs. [23:53]
5. Worship as Response: Meditating on God's incommunicable attributes leads us to worship Him for who He is, not for what we can gain. This worship acknowledges His greatness and our humble position, transforming our hearts and minds to focus on His divine nature. [36:06]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [03:56] - Introduction to God's Attributes
- [05:58] - God's Independence
- [11:49] - God's Immutability
- [14:32] - God's Unchanging Promises
- [16:46] - God's Eternal Nature
- [19:15] - Understanding Eternity
- [19:53] - God's Relationship with Time
- [23:53] - God's Omnipresence
- [27:46] - Common Errors in Understanding God
- [31:42] - Applying the Doctrine
- [36:06] - Worship as a Response
- [37:22] - Conclusion and Invitation to Worship
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Isaiah 57:15 - "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"
2. Psalm 139:7-10 - "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me."
3. Malachi 3:6 - "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Isaiah 57:15 reveal about God's nature and His relationship with humanity? How does this relate to the concept of God's transcendence? [03:56]
2. In Psalm 139:7-10, what is the significance of God's omnipresence as described by the Psalmist? How does this attribute provide comfort to believers? [23:53]
3. According to Malachi 3:6, what assurance do we have because of God's immutability? How does this attribute contrast with human nature? [11:49]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding God's independence challenge our perception of self-sufficiency and reliance on others? What implications does this have for our daily lives? [05:58]
2. In what ways does God's immutability provide a foundation for trust and security in His promises? How can this understanding impact our faith journey? [14:32]
3. How does the concept of God's eternity influence our understanding of time and our trust in His plans? What does this mean for our perspective on life's challenges? [19:53]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt self-sufficient. How does recognizing God's independence and your dependence on Him change your perspective on that situation? [05:58]
2. Consider a promise from God that you are holding onto. How does His immutability reassure you that this promise will be fulfilled? What steps can you take to strengthen your trust in His unchanging nature? [14:32]
3. How can you incorporate the understanding of God's omnipresence into your daily prayer and worship practices? What difference might this make in your sense of God's presence in your life? [23:53]
4. In what ways can meditating on God's eternity help you navigate a current challenge or decision? How can you remind yourself of His timeless wisdom and plan? [19:53]
5. How does the realization of God's greatness and our humble position before Him transform your approach to worship? What specific changes can you make in your worship practices to reflect this understanding? [36:06]
6. Identify an area in your life where you struggle with change. How can reflecting on God's immutability provide comfort and guidance in that area? [11:49]
7. Think of a moment when you felt alone. How can the knowledge of God's omnipresence provide solace and encouragement in similar situations in the future? [23:53]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Self-Existence and Our Dependence
God's independence signifies His self-existence and complete sufficiency, contrasting with our dependence on Him and others. This understanding humbles us, reminding us of our reliance on the Creator for every breath and need. Recognizing God's independence helps us see the vast difference between the Creator and His creation. While God is self-sufficient and needs nothing outside Himself, we are entirely dependent on Him for our existence and sustenance. This realization should lead us to a posture of humility and gratitude, acknowledging that every aspect of our lives is sustained by His grace. [05:58]
"For in him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’" (Acts 17:28, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself striving for independence? How can you practice acknowledging your dependence on God today?
Day 2: The Comfort of God's Unchanging Nature
God's immutability assures us of His unchanging nature. Unlike humans, who are subject to change, God remains constant in His essence, attributes, plans, and promises. This stability provides us with comfort and assurance that His love and acceptance are eternal. In a world where change is constant and often unsettling, God's immutability offers a foundation of trust and security. His promises are steadfast, and His character is unwavering, providing us with a reliable anchor in the midst of life's uncertainties. [14:32]
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a recent change in your life. How can you find comfort in God's unchanging nature amidst this change?
Day 3: Trusting in God's Eternal Wisdom
God's eternity transcends time, a concept challenging for us to comprehend as time-bound creatures. God exists beyond time, yet He acts within it, demonstrating His sovereignty over creation. This eternal nature of God invites us to trust in His timeless wisdom and plan. As we navigate our temporal existence, we are invited to rely on God's eternal perspective, trusting that His plans and purposes are perfect and beyond our understanding. [19:53]
"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." (Psalm 90:2, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God's timing? How can you begin to surrender this to His eternal wisdom today?
Day 4: The Assurance of God's Omnipresence
God's omnipresence means He is present everywhere, offering solace that we are never alone. His presence is a constant companion, inviting us to engage with Him in prayer and worship, knowing He is always near. This attribute of God assures us that no matter where we are or what we face, we are never outside of His loving presence. It encourages us to cultivate a deeper awareness of His nearness in our daily lives. [23:53]
"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" (Psalm 139:7-8, ESV)
Reflection: How can you create a daily habit of acknowledging God's presence in your life, especially during moments of loneliness or fear?
Day 5: Worship as a Response to God's Greatness
Reflecting on God's incommunicable attributes leads us to worship Him not for what we can gain but for who He is. Worship becomes an act of acknowledging His greatness and our humble position before Him. As we meditate on these divine qualities, our hearts are naturally drawn to praise and adoration. This form of worship transforms our hearts and minds, shifting our focus from ourselves to the majesty of God. [36:06]
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33, ESV)
Reflection: What specific attribute of God can you focus on today to deepen your worship? How can this focus transform your perspective and actions?
Quotes
Thank you, Yassim. Last Sunday, we looked at the fact that we know God because God has revealed himself to us. And today and next Sunday, we'll look at some of the attributes, some of the characteristics, some of the qualities that God has revealed about himself, who he is. And when we speak about the qualities of God, we normally categorize them into two large categories, just for, you know, so that we can discuss them easily. [00:00:01]
And those two categories are two. Number one, it is the incommunicable attributes of God and the communicable attributes of God. And the difference between those is simply this. That the incommunicable attributes are the ones that God does not give to us. He does not share them with human beings. For instance, God is eternal. [00:00:43]
We in ourselves are not. God is omnipresent. He is present everywhere. We cannot. In fact, there is nothing else in all creation that can be everywhere at the same time in all fullness. So that's... The incommunicable attributes, things that are about God that belong to him alone, and then there are communicable attributes, those qualities of God, those characteristics of God, that he does share with us, things like faithfulness, things like love. [00:00:58]
Now in Isaiah chapter 57 verse 15, it says, God is the one who is high and lifted up. He is like beyond everything that he has created. He is enthroned in the heavens, say Psalm 123, 1, which is to indicate to us that he is above everything else. The son in Colossians chapter 1 verses 15 to 16, Jesus is called the firstborn of all creation in the sense that he has the rights over the world. [00:04:47]
He is the one who has the rights over all creation. He owns all creation. And he talks about his pre -eminence. And it talks about the fact that all creation was created by him and for him. And so once again, the incommunicable attributes, those qualities that God has in him, that he does not share with us, we see from them that God is very high in his creation. [00:04:47]
God's independence is that he is self -existent خداوند کو کسی نے بنایا نہیں خداوند خود ہی exist کرتا ہے and he has always existed and this is his self -existence ہم میں سے کوئی بھی خود exist نہیں کرتا ہے we are all dependent upon God and that's one of the differences between the creator and the creatures God is all sufficient God is self -sufficient he does not need anybody else he does not need anything else خداوند اپنے میں ہی sufficient ہے اپنے لئے اس کو کسی اور کی یا کسی اور چیز کی ضرورت نہیں ہے [00:05:58]
ہم کبھی بھی, بہت ہم کو کئی دफ़ا गर्व होता है कि हम independent हैं, बगर हम कभी भी इस किसी भी हाल में independent नहीं होते हैं, because we are always dependent on, you are dependent on, you and I are dependent on the air that we breathe, यहां से हवा निकल जाए और हवा ना available हो, साफ हवा available ना हो, we cannot live, we are dependent upon each other, we are dependent upon the supplies that we get, if you think you are going to be independent, well, you are strong, you made your life, you made a wonderful career, you made it because somebody helped you all along the way, there was a company you worked for, there was a department they work, who worked for, there were people who worked for you, the richest people in the world may think they are independent, but they are rich because there are other people who are working for them, who create value, and they just manage it, so no matter how strong you are, how wealthy you are, how educated you are, you are never independent, हम लोग हमेशा और लोगों के उपर निर्भर हैं, हम independent नहीं हैं, we depend on, this is something that we try to teach in the church always, we stay together with each other because we are interdependent, हम एक दुसरे के उपर निर्भर हैं, and so that is an important thing, and above all, we are dependent upon God, He is the source of life, He is where our life comes from, now the next attribute that we want to talk about is God's immutability, इम्यूटेबिलिटी का मतलब होता है, unchangeableness, वो बदलता नहीं है, He does not change, in Malachi chapter 3, [00:08:04]
Verse 6, it says, I, the Lord, God says, I, the Lord, do not change. Main badalta nahi hoon. And then in James, we read, with him there is no variation or shadow due to change. And so this tells us that God is stable. God is who he is. If today God says that I love you, then you can be sure that he will love you in all eternity. He is not going to change. If God says to you today that I accept you, then you can be sure that he will always, always accept you. He is not going to say that today I accept you, tomorrow I reject you. When he accepts you in Christ, he is eternally the same. He is unchanging. [00:09:57]
Now there are four things about his immutability that we are going to look at. And the first of this is he is immutable in terms of his essence. Jo wo khud apne aap mein hai. God exists eternally as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That's what the Bible tells us. Khudavand nahi yeh apne baare mein bataya hai ki hamesha hamesha se khudavand pita, khudavand beta aur khudavand pakroo. He, in his essence, he's always been the triune God. He never changes. He's always been that. He's one. And he is three. And so this is something that we need to remember that in his essence, he's always the same. Psalm 102 tells us, verses 26 and 27, the psalmist is speaking about the heaven and earth and saying how the heaven and earth can change. He says they will perish. Heaven and earth will perish, but you will remain. [00:10:49]
they will all wear out like a garment you change them like a robe it says God you are going to change the heavens and earth like this they will pass away but you are the same and your ears have no end you are always going to be there you are always going to be the same so in his essence God never changes God never never changes in his essence now another thing he does not change in is according to his perfections or his attributes he is always eternally like omnipresent means present everywhere he knows everything he is always loving he is holy all of those things are always what is true about God remains true about God forever and so we must recognize the Bible tells us this is the kind of God that we are talking about then he is immutable or unchangeable in respect of his plan or his decree whatever he has planned for our salvation whatever he has decreed whatever he has established as his purpose for creation will be changed will be fulfilled nothing can move it from fulfillment so that's an important thing for us to remember why is it important one is of course this is the kind of God he is this is what he has revealed in the scriptures about himself but to us it brings us great comfort that our God does not change he is always the same he is stable and we can depend upon him we can rely upon him His plan he will bring to pass. [00:11:54]
The plans and purposes of human beings, they come to nothing. Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they don't. But what God is able to do is to say and promise something and make a plan, degree something, and he will bring it about. So we can depend upon that. Now, God is also unchanging in respect to his promises. Whatever he has promised right from the beginning, whatever he did, right from Adam and Eve, and you go through the entire... [00:15:20]
Old Testament, and you come to the New Testament, everything that God has said, he has accomplished, you know, over the centuries, over the lives of many, many generations of people, the things he has promised, he completely fulfills those commitments. He never goes back on his pledges. So when you have a promise from God, you can be sure that he will fulfill it. We can absolutely depend upon it. We can absolutely depend at any risk to our lives or to our well -being as well, temporarily, that God is going to fulfill his promises. [00:15:59]
And in Numbers 23, we know this verse is a commonly quoted verse, Numbers 23 verse 19, God is not mad that he should lie, right? Remember, God is independent. God is self -sufficient. But if God is all -powerful and he is independent, he is totally free, he doesn't even need to lie. There's no need, there's no falsehood or lie in him. He is, God is not man that he should lie, or the son of God. He is the son of a man that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? And so we can trust that his word remains. He is unchanging with respect to his promises. So once again, as we look at these elements of how God is unchangeable or immutable, [00:16:46]
Now the third attribute that we want to talk about is his eternity. His eternity, that is, hamesha hamesha meh rehne wala So this is like he is not bound by time. In fact, we have a hard time trying to figure out eternity because we are creatures who are bound by time. How is our life? We live in time. We cannot even imagine what eternity will be like outside of time. Eternity is not like forever. Eternity is a total thing outside of time. God has created both time. And space, right? God has created both time and space. Time is a created thing. And God is not limited to his creation. So he is eternal. He is not bound by time, but he can act in time. He can do something in between time and time. [00:18:45]
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