If you are a regular reader of our www.MarketFaith.org website, you know that there are four basic worldview systems to which all people adhere (even if they don’t know it). Those worldviews include Theism, Naturalism, Animism, and Far Eastern Thought. It is true that there are a number of religious systems within Theism. They include Judaism, Islam, Unitarianism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others. You may also know that, though some of those theistic systems may contain some truths about the nature of God, we contend that the only worldview system that is totally and completely true is Christian Theism.
But what exactly is the God we believe in really like? In other words, what characteristics about Him are true according to the Bible. Those divine characteristics are what theologians call the Attributes of God. All believers in Christ should know and acknowledge those attributes as part and parcel of their faith in God. In this article we present a matching type quiz for you test your understanding of the divine attributes of God.
Look at the ten theological words listed below (A-J). They are all valid attributes of God according to Christian Theism. See if you can match each one to a description below and put the number in the correct space. Afterward, check your answers below.
Theological Words
_____A. Necessary
_____B. Independence
_____C. Immateriality
_____D. Omnipresence
_____E. Eternality
_____F . Omniscience
_____G. Simplicity
_____H. Immutability
_____I. Omnipotence
_____J. Goodness
Descriptions
1. God is “all knowing.”
2. God is “all powerful.”
3. God is perfect in His moral being.
4. God does not change.
5. God exists in all time and all places.
6. God is the only reason that anything else can or does exist.
7. God is not limited by, or dependent upon, any external entity for His existence.
8. God has no beginning or ending in time.
9. God is spirit.
10. God exists as the one and only unified Being.
Now check your answers. The correct numbers are on the left. I suggest you read the Scripture passages for yourself. It will make for a good personal Bible study.
6 A. Necessary – God is the only reason that anything else can or does exist.
There is no other possible explanation for the universe (space, time, matter, and energy) and anything in it to exist apart from God. Even modern physicists and astronomers know the universe had a beginning from nothing, which they cannot explain. God is the only answer. Therefore, He is a necessary being. (Genesis 1:1; Isa. 44:24; John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17)
7 B. Independence – God is not limited by, or dependent on, any external entity for His existence.
This attribute, also known as “aseity” (from Latin: “by itself”), means God is the only being that is not depend on something else to exist or function. (Exodus 3:14 – “I am That I am”; Isa. 44:6, 18b; Col. 1:17)
9 C. Immateriality – God is spirit.
When we talk about being “spirit,” we mean that His essence transcends the material world of space, time, matter, and energy. He is not physical or material. The exception is when God the Son entered His created order in the Person of Jesus Christ. (John 1:14; 4:24)
5 D. Omnipresence – God exists in all time and all places.
This attribute asserts that God is absolutely infinite in His being. There is no place in or out of the universe where He is not always present. He is not limited by time, space, matter, or energy. He can and does exist in all places and all times simultaneously. (Psalm 139:7-10)
8 E. Eternality – God has no beginning or ending in time.
This attribute asserts that God had no beginning in time (He created it) and is not limited in any way by it. He has always existed (even before time existed) and always will. (Psalm 90:2-4; Rev.1:8; 21:6; 22:13; 2 Pet. 3:8)
1 F . Omniscience – God is “all knowing.”
God has all knowledge about the universe and knows everything that can be known and/or will or could happen at any time or place, past or present. His knowledge actually extends beyond the bounds of the physical universe of time, space, matter, and energy (eg. in Heaven). (Job 37:16; 1 John 3:20; Isa. 46:9-10a)
10 G. Simplicity – God exists as the one and only unified Being.
This attribute should not be misconstrued. It does not mean that God is an easily understood being. It means that God, as pure mind, is not composed of mind and body. He has no parts or pieces like material objects. As humans, and in Scripture, nonetheless, we express God in somewhat material terms. We speak of His hands, His eyes, etc., as metaphorical ways of describing His actions in the world. Yet he is not like anything else that exists.
4 H. Immutability – God does not change
In His essential Being and moral perfection God does not change. He “is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Psalm 102:25-27; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)
2 I. Omnipotence – God is “all Powerful.”
Omnipotence (from the Latin omni, [“all”] and potens [“powerful”]) is the fact that God is by definition “Almighty.” In other words, He alone possesses the capability of doing whatever He sovereignly wills to do – at any time and anywhere. The best example of this attribute is the creation of the entire material universe from nothing – no time, no space, no matter, no energy. Only an omnipotent being could do that.
This does not mean, however, that God can or will do things that are counterfactual to reality. For example, He cannot create a “square triangle,” or “create a stone too heavy for Him to lift.” Such statements are incoherent. Also, God will never do something that is contrary to own His moral nature. For instance, God cannot lie. (see next attribute).
Also, God does not, in the ordinary stream of events, do things that contradict the laws of nature and physics. The Bible, however, does record numerous instances of divine miracles performed to accomplish His special purposes. The best example is, of course, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead – the ultimate demonstration of His power. (Gen. 18;14; Psalm 24:8; Jer. 32:17, 27; Matt. 19:26; 28:1-15; Luke 1:37; 24; 1 Cor. 15:1-11; 2 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 3:20; Rev. 1:8)
3 J. Goodness – God is perfect in His moral being.
The Bible asserts that God is perfectly good. In fact, He is the true basis for all moral principles. His goodness constitutes His holiness and purity. Therefore, what He declares to be good is absolutely good. What He declares to be right is absolutely right. Conversely what He declares to be evil is absolutely evil. What He declares to be wrong is absolutely wrong. These have been made known to us by revelation in the Scriptures and in the perfect life of Christ. There is no higher standard of goodness than God’s own character and what is consistent with His character. All human morals and ethics must ultimately conform to God’s standards. Intrinsic to this attribute are God’s love, mercy, patience, and grace. (Gen. 1: 31; Psalm 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 119:68; Acts 14:18; Rom. 12:2; James 1:17)
How did you do? In any case, now you know ten of the basic attributes of God. We could add more if space allowed, but these are the foundational ones for the Christian theistic worldview. So, next time you hear teachers and preachers talking about “the attributes of God” you will have a good idea of what they are talking about.
© 2023 Tal Davis