The Baptist Catechism Question No. 7

Q: What is God?

A: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

If scripture contains what we ought to believe about God, then what exactly does scripture teach us about what it means for God to be God? The catechism answers this question by providing several attributes that belong to God alone and applying them to attributes that we share with God. We should understand this answer in this way: God is a Spirit whose being is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable; God is a Spirit whose wisdom is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable; etc. As creatures, we share similarities with our Creator in that we have being and can have wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth; however, we cannot have these attributes in an infinite, eternal, or unchangeable way. We can come to a knowledge of God through His Word, yet He remains beyond our full comprehension. 

Scriptural Basis:

John 4:24 (ESV) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

When talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus discussed the proper place to worship God. The Samaritan woman was overly concerned with the proper physical place of worship, Samaria, or Jerusalem. Jesus instructed her that God is spirit and those who worship Him need not find a specific physical place. God is not bound by specific physical spaces. Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. This truth has implications far greater than this article can cover, but here are a few: 1. When the Bible uses physical attributes to describe God, they are meant to be metaphors that help us understand something about God. For example, God’s right arm is meant to communicate His strength and power in the work He accomplishes. God does not literally have an arm because He is spirit. 2. We do not have to find a specific physical place to have communication with God. Since He is Spirit, He is not limited to a church building. Although God commands the corporate worship of His people, He still meets us in the quiet places where we pray. 3. Since God is spirit, images of God are sinful. Physical, man-made images will always fail to capture the fullness of God; therefore, we are commanded never to create them.

Job 11:7 (ESV) Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

    During Job’s conversations with his friends, Zophar brought up these incredibly profound questions about God. The assumed answer to both of these questions is “no”. We can search the depths of God and never come to a full understanding of Him because He is infinite. A theologian once said that trying to discover everything about God is like trying to scuba dive in an ocean with no floor and no shore in any direction. God is infinite not only in His being but in all of His attributes as well.

Exodus 3:14 (ESV) God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'”

    When Moses asked God what name he should use when the Israelites would ask, God simply gave Moses the Hebrew “being” verb. This seems simple at first, but it captures the eternal and unchangeable nature of God. As creatures, we are subject to change. We are constantly becoming because we aren’t the same as we were five minutes ago. However, God is. God isn’t becoming something else. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. This is not an arbitrary point because it gives rise to other attributes such as God’s faithfulness. 

Psalm 147:5 (ESV) Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

     The greatness of our Lord is seen both in His abundance of power and understanding. These attributes are not merely facts to be studied, but descriptions of God which should lead us to worship Him. As image-bearers, humans have the capacity for power and wisdom(understanding), but they are derivative of our Creator’s power and wisdom. Our power is limited. Our wisdom can be measured. The power and wisdom of our Lord is infinite, making him worthy of worship.

Revelation 4:8 (ESV) And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

    When John was given a vision of the throne room of God, he observed the praises given to God by the living creatures who were created for that purpose. Their main praise is the threefold declaration of God’s holiness. The use of the word holy three times is the equivalent of saying holy, more holy, most holy. In Hebrew thought, repeating an adjective three times took it to the superlative level. God is not just holy; He is most holy. When God makes a part of His creation holy, it is set apart for His glory. When God is declared to be holy, we are describing Him as set apart for His own glory. This means free from sin as well as distinct and categorically different from His creation. 

Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV) The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."

This passage sets forth the tension found in the Old Testament because it reveals God’s commitment to His justice as well as His gracious will. God is just; therefore, no sin will go unpunished. However, God is also merciful and gracious, forgiving sins. How can God forgive sin while remaining just? The atoning work of Jesus Christ satisfied the wrath of God’s justice while providing forgiveness for those covered by His atoning sacrifice. This is one way in which the Son revealed the Father during His earthly ministry.

Worldview Challenge:

     There are many people who treat God like a customizable stuffed animal. They pick and choose attributes that suit the unregenerate desires of their hearts. However, scripture clearly defines the one and only living God. His attributes cannot be selected or omitted based upon our personal preferences. As believers, we must put away the sinful desires of the flesh which seek to domesticate God until He becomes our personal idol. Allow holy scripture to inform your view of God because departure from His Word always leads to false teaching and destruction. The word of God should come before the word of man.

Remember: Catechisms should be used as a helpful tool alongside a healthy intake of Holy Scripture. They should never replace God’s Word because their usefulness depends upon their accurate representation of God’s Word. When using these tools, always ground the answers in the scripture references provided.